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> create a digital currency that people can use. I 100% agree. I love the core ideas, but it's not really useable yet beyond a few (important) use cases. I thi

by breck 7y ago

> create a digital currency that people can use. I 100% agree. I love the core ideas, but it's not really useable yet beyond a few (important) use cases. I think the problem is trust. I first got in Bitcoin at $6 and Ethereum at $10. I got out way too early to retire (hence why I bought the domain sellnothing.com, to remind myself of an important lesson), but I got out because I realized the system was too complex and I didn't understand it all, and so felt like the sucker at the poker table. Our Tree Notation I believe is the solution to making a crypto currency people could trust. You could build a Tree Language for a blockchain that is: 0 syntax. 0 unnecessary complexity. 100% of the capability. No BS. It would look something like this: transaction id lerledsfa334 receiver abc432 sender fslkm324 amount 2.22 The key advantage of Tree Notation is countable complexity. You could build a system that is very easy to audit and the community could easily reject any unnecessary complexity, which I think is where corruption goes to hide--in unnecessary complexity. I've got my hands full with Tree Notation applications in medical research and data science, but I really hope someone applies it to the digital currency space, and I'd be happy to assist time permitting. https://treenotation.org https://treenotation.org or breck@treenotation.org

thefounder 7y ago
Wtf are you talking about? Digital currencies don't "work" because they are volatile not because they lack a Tree Notation strategy. They have become an speculative investment/gambling rather than a method of payment.
- breck 7y ago
  I agree that volatility is a problem but I think it's a symptom of the root cause. I think digital currencies do work now for a few use cases (cross border transfer, for example), but they don't work mainstream because you can't trust them at the core. It's not a very understandable system, and that's a benefit to certain powerful players in the field, to the detriment of everyone else. Most people now holding bitcoin are speculators or fools. A few people/groups with significant resources have the ability to truly understand what's going on, and unless you are one of those folks you are just along for the ride. With Tree Notation you could start moving toward a far simpler system with no unnecessary complexity, where it would be much harder to maintain an information advantage over the average user. The chain of transactions itself would be very easy to audit, but long term so would the node code, etc. All cryptocurrencies currently use overly complex languages (mostly BNFs) both for their nodes and their blockchains. I think Tree Notation will eat those (http://longbets.org/793/ http://longbets.org/793/) and someone(s) who apply it early to the crypto world will win a lot of users.
  - thefounder 7y ago
    People use visa, mastercard, bank transfer/swift, paypal etc but have no clue about the implementation. This doesn't stop them using them. You are focusing on the wrong things. Users have no interest to know what's going on behind the scenes but you can be sure they won't use cryptocurrencies again when they find out that the bitcoin bought yesterday is now less valuable and they are no longer able to buy whatever they planned(i speak from personal experience). Wtf does the programming language has to do with the end user experience??? Fix the volatility and you may have a successful cryptocurrency otherwise all you get is a gambling tool and a way for shady people to transfer money anonymously. Obviously for this latter group of people loosing some money is not an issue.
    - breck 7y ago
      VisaNet is the simplest program imaginable, relative to the value. People do have a clue how it works because any problem you have can be explained with little more than basic arithmetic. The phases of the credit charge process are clear and well defined. (I used to work on things for Visa). Simplicity matters. You’re not gonna fix volatility when you have the complexity of the current bitcoin network, IMO.
      - thefounder 7y ago
        You know that Visa works with stable(government backed), regulated currencies, right? Maybe that should give you a hint why people use it. Your "complexity" argument is pure bullshit.
        deleted 7y ago
        [deleted]
        breck 7y ago
        People use it because it works and they can trust it, and it's easier to make that happen when you have simpler things. Now, if you don't want to go explore what a Tree Notation backed blockchain could look like, totally fine. Plenty of other people will. It's a massive low hanging fruit opportunity. (And Tree Notation is all public domain, btw)

by breck 7y ago

thefounder 7y ago

Wtf are you talking about? Digital currencies don't "work" because they are volatile not because they lack a Tree Notation strategy. They have become an speculative investment/gambling rather than a method of payment.

breck 7y ago
I agree that volatility is a problem but I think it's a symptom of the root cause. I think digital currencies do work now for a few use cases (cross border transfer, for example), but they don't work mainstream because you can't trust them at the core. It's not a very understandable system, and that's a benefit to certain powerful players in the field, to the detriment of everyone else. Most people now holding bitcoin are speculators or fools. A few people/groups with significant resources have the ability to truly understand what's going on, and unless you are one of those folks you are just along for the ride. With Tree Notation you could start moving toward a far simpler system with no unnecessary complexity, where it would be much harder to maintain an information advantage over the average user. The chain of transactions itself would be very easy to audit, but long term so would the node code, etc. All cryptocurrencies currently use overly complex languages (mostly BNFs) both for their nodes and their blockchains. I think Tree Notation will eat those (http://longbets.org/793/ http://longbets.org/793/) and someone(s) who apply it early to the crypto world will win a lot of users.
- thefounder 7y ago
  People use visa, mastercard, bank transfer/swift, paypal etc but have no clue about the implementation. This doesn't stop them using them. You are focusing on the wrong things. Users have no interest to know what's going on behind the scenes but you can be sure they won't use cryptocurrencies again when they find out that the bitcoin bought yesterday is now less valuable and they are no longer able to buy whatever they planned(i speak from personal experience). Wtf does the programming language has to do with the end user experience??? Fix the volatility and you may have a successful cryptocurrency otherwise all you get is a gambling tool and a way for shady people to transfer money anonymously. Obviously for this latter group of people loosing some money is not an issue.
  - breck 7y ago
    VisaNet is the simplest program imaginable, relative to the value. People do have a clue how it works because any problem you have can be explained with little more than basic arithmetic. The phases of the credit charge process are clear and well defined. (I used to work on things for Visa). Simplicity matters. You’re not gonna fix volatility when you have the complexity of the current bitcoin network, IMO.
    - thefounder 7y ago
      You know that Visa works with stable(government backed), regulated currencies, right? Maybe that should give you a hint why people use it. Your "complexity" argument is pure bullshit.
      - deleted 7y ago
        [deleted]
      - breck 7y ago
        People use it because it works and they can trust it, and it's easier to make that happen when you have simpler things. Now, if you don't want to go explore what a Tree Notation backed blockchain could look like, totally fine. Plenty of other people will. It's a massive low hanging fruit opportunity. (And Tree Notation is all public domain, btw)